Getting The Assistance You Need To Get Ahead And Become Indepent From The System

Everything is not covered. As you read this you may think, "well, it looks like it's all there." There is much more information...Please feel free to email me or post your comments with questions and I will answer them A.S.A.P



If you are not employed and have a child/children you are eligible to receive cash assistance,food stamps,Medicaid and assistance with housing this is called, TANF(Temporary Assistance For Needy Families). If you are not employed without children you are eligible to receive GA(General Assistance) and food stamps.

If you are denied TANF benefits please be aware this can effect all other assistance in the sense you will be placed on long waiting list's for other services and in some cases may not be eligible.As a TANF recipient the first step you take is to apply at your local Social Service Office.You are asked many questions to start the application process.Next your case worker will tell you to go to child support to determine if you receive child support.If you do receive child support a portion of your monthly TANF grant will be deducted based upon what you receive in child support monies making your grant less. For a single mother of one child your grant amount will be $322.00 a month, for a mother of two children, your grant amount will be $424.00 so on and so forth.

After you complete child support application you bring the finished paper work back to your case worker showing you have complied.Note, this can all be done in the same day, but can take up to five to six hours to do in one day! This is due in part to the time you have to wait in the waiting room to be called to start your application for Tanaf benefits.Generally, in the same or next building depending on the county in which you live you can walk over to complete the child support application, which doesn't take too long. Once your case worker has the child support application you are almost complete.The next step is to meet with a someone to complete a case management assessment, they discuss your goals, if you are in school,planning to go back to school etc..Again upon completion give that completed assessment to your worker.It is wise to complete child support after you apply for TANF benefits that same day, then case management assessment and finally bring all paper work back to your worker to get benefits processed as soon as possible.It will take thirty day's to process so getting all paper work in A.S.A.P. is best.Starting on the 1st,2nd or 3rd of the month based on your number you will begin receiving cash benefits, food stamps and Medicaid.

Tips! If you are in need of emergency food beyond what a food pantry can furnish emergency food stamps CAN be issued sooner than the thirty-day wait time.Case worker don't furnish this information.But I have seen this happen.Also, if you are in need of shelter,placed in a hotel, storage fee's can be paid on your property so you don't lose it and have it for when you find more permanent housing. If you do not have furniture, under the TRAP)Temporary Rental Assistance Program), you would qualify for a voucher to purchase furniture for your home.

You are required to enter a work program for up to one month called WFNJ(Work Force New Jersey), this is held at the PIC Office located at 1959 Rt.9, Toms River, New Jersey.You will be trained in a skill if you aren't already in school,taught how to write a resume, look for a job etc..Now, this is something I do not always agree with and where some parts of this program "must" be reformed! If you are going to school make sure you are securing a degree.Do not let a worker try and change your goal and tell you no benefits will be issued if you don't change your degree or leave school all together.This is untrue! Most cash assistance recipients that are required to participate in employment and work readiness activities should know this includes school! Education IS important, personally I would rather see those who already know how to seek employment,write a resume, focus on earning a degree so they can secure better paying jobs and not have to worry about entering the system again.

For the most part the issue is not that a cannot write a resume or they don't know how to look for a job, but generally it is a life altering circumstance that throws them off course for a time. This could be expecting a child,giving birth, having to leave a job, lose a job based on no future child care for the hours they were able to work, again in this area of concern the list of reasons are vast! As opposed to going out for countless cigarette breaks,ordering fast food for lunch at the center,hanging out talking and most times hanging out in the office pretending to look for jobs because people are told they have to stay each day for over five hours or they will be sanctioned, i.e. lose their benefits! It makes more sense for the individual on TANF to make good use of their time in school, focusing on home work and setting goals!

We have walked in on intent and researched based upon observation what a day would entail at a work program and have spent whole day's observing what goes on. This is a fact! But if you are the type of individual who has a goal and a dream DO NOT let anyone destroy it!Go to that office with a plan of action! So you don't have to spend six-eight hours a day in a office hanging out! Continue college, learn that trade and only go to that office to access their computers if you do not own one to write a resume, search for job or buy the paper! Don't settle for being told this is all you have! $322.00/$424.00 is NOT best! And because you have to take such benefits now it does not dictate where you will end up when you have a solid plan!

Most times work programs set schedules in the morning and afternoon for you to attend.Right when you are expected to be in class for that trade or college.You are allowed to go to school and should not have to leave so you can be at a work program, that defeats the purpose of advancing yourself to get off the system.Remember this, you are allowed to go to school, if a worker tells you, no, you must be here! Or you feel you are being forced to settle in a trade/course of study not of your choosing... If you find issues such as this contact the Board Of Freeholder's for Ocean County residence and discuss the matter.There contact can be found http://www.ocean.edu/welcome/freeholders.htm And if you go to Ocean County College this can be accessed as you can see through ocean edu. Also contact legal services and seek an advocate who can represent you in most cases for free based on your income, because they are paid by the state. Ocean County... Ocean-Monmouth Legal Services Toms River Office. telephone (732) 341-2727. The Cory Building 599 Route 37 West Toms River, NJ 08755 ...And inquire about your rights! That is the most important thing which is to "KNOW" your rights.

Before continuing please understand the point being made. There are a large number of people who do abuse the system, do not set goals, are working and lie to receive extra perks, but they are not the majority.As a social worker it appears it is the majority because they get burnt out! And it's a proven fact that people tend to remember the negative about something or someone then the positive! So, it appears to some worker's that "everyone" is out to bleed the system!Some worker's take on the profession for a job and this is truth. It pays the bill's! But must interject that even the worker's are under paid, which is another Welfare reform issue.

It's rare, but there are some case workers who see the individual applying for state assistance as a person with potential! And a worker who will in turn not only notice that in you, but will take the time out to inform you of the help available to you and "approve" you. More individual time needs to be given to each individual before judgements are made about their abilities, however each caseworker has thirty and more cases to process in a day and that is why most who seek help feel like a number and a lot of important information is lost. But this issue once again is a Welfare reform issue and I won't discuss further, well, not here anyway...In short Go with your goal presented to your worker,a plan for your household, what you would like to see happen for your family and that IS to move forward independently from the system.
Please don't allow anyone to group you into a class of people that don't share the same drive! You are going to the system which is hard enough and equally embarrassing.But it's a stepping stone to move away from it!


Once on TANF you do not have to be placed on a waiting list for child care.If you secure employment after a month or two of being on TANF day care is ready the day you have to start work! But if you are not on TANF you will be placed on the waiting list for six month's up to a year through CHS (Children Homes Society), also located in Toms River New Jersey! Sadly, enough, it almost encourages people to go on TANF, ie, Welfare, because they won't fear losing that job because day care is automatic! For the person who in a working single family home, because they receive a pay check they do not quailfy for TANF and are placed on a waiting list for child care. Let me be more clear. They would have to be making less than $322.00 a month in order to be approved for TANF or not working at all. By the time it takes for them to wait for child care they may have already lost their job.Now we have a new recipient who has entered the Welfare system and the number is growing.Now that individual has to start from the bottom, when all that was needed was child care to keep from going below the poverty guideline!

If you have a family member or a friend that is able to care for your child in your home and are on TANF, CHS(Children's Home Society), will help pay for that and this gets worked out by you placing a call to them.Keep in mind they pay by the hour and I believe the rate is still under $8.00 an hour. The going rate for a babysitter is between $10.00 and a nanny $25.00 an hour! So, it's not much when you compare rates for care. If you have an understanding friend or family member who can do this great! Generally, for most it's too little pay. CHS can be contacted at 732-557-9633

Further information will be posted in the week's ahead.....